Think about this as you watch today’s ACC Tournament semifinals. For all the fine hospitality, quality facilities and lovely weather, Tampa is a Big East city. Admittedly, that’s a reach, but South Florida, the local big-time college team, is a Big East member.

(And looking for a new head coach after firing Robert McCullum, 40-76 in four years as the successor to Seth Greenberg, now head coach at Virginia Tech.)

There’s a possibility, arguably 50-50, that Boston College and Virginia Tech will defeat North Carolina and N.C. State, respectively, to advance to play for the ACC Tournament title on Sunday. Both BC and Virginia Tech are recent refugees from that same Big East Conference. Surely Big East supporters would take satisfaction from such a result in the basketball league that stole three of its members to bolster a middling football profile.

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Backstage at the St. Pete Times Forum, there are bins in the press area in which to recycle plastic bottles and soda cans. No paper recycling, unfortunately, and press meals are served on non-biodegradable plastic plates. Still, this is a more enlightened approach to conserving resources than is seen in press rooms in the Triangle, where there is no recycling whatsoever.